Kim Chi and The Monster

Posted on March 19, 2017 by admin

I haven’t posted in a month, so figured I would update on two fun things I’ve gotten watch while here – a drag show and a concert!

I met another exchange student at the airport when I arrived and as we were talking she mentioned that she might be going to see Kim Chi in a few days, and being a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race (and my little sister being a huge fan too) I knew I had to go. This is not a chance you really get in New Zealand!

The event itself was held at Neon Milk SKRT in Itaewon. It’s not that big of a venue and there was a line winding around the corner when we arrived. We hadn’t bought tickets so were a bit nervous about our chances of getting in. Luckily we did! But it was a sold out show, so I’m glad we went early.

 

It was so much fun! The opening acts were really good, and basically at 11pm, 12pm and 1am they would put on a show, then there would be breaks for drinks and giving them time to change costume etc.

(For some of these instagram pics, hover over the image and click the arrows to see the rest of the images in the collection.)

Naomi Smalls was also a headlining act! So you got two RuPaul contestants as well as some awesome local talent.

We ended up only staying for the first two shows, as it was so packed that the first show we mostly watched through the phones being held up by the people in front of us, and the second we had to uncomfortably squat down. The squatting down was good because then more people got to see, but bad because we hurt our legs and didn’t have enough space so headed home a bit early.

 

The other show I went to see more recently. It was The Monster #3: Beginning and featured a collection of popular Korean Hip Hop/RnB artists: Zico, Dean, Babylon, Changmo, Hyueun Kim, Eden, Lockersbeen (and another guy whose name I didn’t catch).

 

I had actually arranged to go to this concert about a Month before I left NZ, the tickets weren’t cheap at about 66,000KRW (about 85NZD), but was worth it too see some really talented people live!

 

The experience itself was slightly different to a concert in NZ. They were really efficient about letting us in to the correct areas (it was all cordoned off into sections) , everyone was pretty orderly, and I got a free skincare sample bag from a lucky dip outside! I found it odd how people didn’t really clap or cheer for too long after songs, the artist just kind of quickly went on to the next song. There was some cheerful banter with the audience too (but I didn’t understand it unfortunately).

 

I really liked the video set up of the stages, I guess being a Creative Media Production student it was interesting to me how it was set up and utilised. The main attractions were Dean and Zico, and there were a few fan-girls going crazy around me 🙂 The loudest was an American though (she’s the one you can hear singing along in the videos).

I didn’t realise I was such a Zico fan, but I knew all the songs he performed (but can’t sing along – not that big a fan!).

The concert also ended efficiently almost exactly on time too!

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Seoul Tour 24.2.17

Posted on February 25, 2017 by admin

This tour was organised by the Yonsei Global club. They offered two tours, and I wanted to do both, but the other one filled up before I had time to register. I’m really happy I went on this tour though, as it had a few things I probably wouldn’t have organised to do on my own.

First stop was going to learn to play some traditional korean instruments for almost 2 hrs. It was a lot of fun, and at the end I mistakenly volunteered to play the Jing. Mistakenly, because I thought it would be the easiest and we were just going to try it once, but in my nervousness I lost all sense of rhythm, and actually it was supposed to be the final note of our class lesson… thank goodness I got it right on the third try when we were videoing it! (I’m not sure that I got the rest of the beats right though).

I’m smiling on the outside, but freaking out on the inside.

Next we checked out the statues at Gwanghwamun Plaza and spent 15 mins taking photos. This is the location where the political protests are currently taking place, but they wouldn’t start until the evening.

After taking the photos we hopped on the tour bus again to Myeongdong for Korean Buffet. It was really good and we were all really hungry by this point.

Finally we walked about 15 minutes to go see a performance of the beat-box musical Bibap. It was so much fun! I don’t know what I was expecting, but it had some really talented people, plenty of comedy and a bit of fun audience participation.

A delicious musical!

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Yonsei Spring 2017 Orientation

Posted on February 25, 2017 by admin

I had time in the morning to do my laundry, look around campus (their souvenir shop is awesome) had lunch and went to orientation. Orientation took about 3 hours, there was a lot of talking from administration, several clubs and other students.

It was really useful, especially as this year they are trialling using a visa agent instead of having us go direct to do the alien registration card thing (you can still do it yourself if you want). It was also a bit hilarious as the videos they had made for the presentation were all a bit extreme for the content (think major blockbuster previews).

After the official Orientation, the Mentors Club had organised a party where we brought 20,000 KRW and they took us out for chicken and beer, and also a club in Sinchon. It was pretty fun, and I probably introduced myself to 40 people that I will never remember the name or faces of.

Turns out there are about 600 international/exchange students this year, and it was cool to meet people from all over the world! (Although the majority are probably Americans). I only briefly met one other NZer and I think he may be a JAFA, but all the aussies were happy to proclaim me as their cousin 🙂

I also met a girl who is staying at the same goshiwon as me!

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Arrival in South Korea

Posted on February 25, 2017 by admin

Getting to my accomodation felt like a long day mainly because of all the standing around it felt like I was doing. I got to the airport about an hour and a half before the flight, but the queue was really long. Luckily on the flight it turned out that I was seated next to another exchange student who was also going to Yonsei! She was from Germany, but had been on Thailand for a holiday. I later learned that there was at least one other exchange student on the flight too.

I flew AirAsia, and I was fine because I had pre-booked my meal and had cash, but it pays to know that you have to pay for bottled water on the flight.

It took a long time for our luggage to arrive and also the other student had trouble using her travel card at ATMS, it seems it’s fine to use at actual stores that take debit though. I’m glad I brought cash all the same! We went to the airport bus counter and I got a T-money card (similar to Snapper, Oyster and other transport and convenience money cards around the world) then headed to catch the 6011 bus.

It was so cold! I went from feeling too hot in the airport to seeing my breath steam once we got outside. Apparently it snowed earlier in the day, but all we saw was drizzly rain. It was really easy to get to my accomodation once I arrived. It’s about 5 mins walk from the Yonsei bus stop. There were a few lost souls who were going to the university accomodation, and should have actually got off at the next stop… which is a bit of an uphill walk. Most of my classes will be up there, so I’m not looking forward to it!

My accomodation is off campus, and is a room in a Goshiwon. These are tiny rooms originally meant for study, but seem to have turned into general accomodation these days. You can find ones that are just beds and a desk with use of shared bathroom, kitchen and laundry facilities. Mine is a bit more expensive with it’s own mini fridge, shower and toilet, although I’m still trying to figure out how to get the shower at a consistently nice temperature and you have to put toilet paper into a bin next to the toilet. This can be quite common in some cheaper thai accomodations, so it’s not so bad. The bin has a lid, so it doesn’t smell, and you can empty it out into a larger bin in the stairwell as often as you like. I had the choice of two rooms, and it took me longer than I expected to decide, but I went for one that had a small hallway, which I don’t really use, but makes the room feel a bit bigger.

I have to pay rent in cash every month. It’s 450,000 krw per month for the room I ended up taking.

I got in quite late, so just had time to settle in before going to meet some other exchange students for dinner. We had an awesome first meal, I was trying to take a photo, but more side dishes kept being added just when I thought it was all out!

Then headed to Daiso to get some supplies (toilet paper, cotton buds, toilet brush and cleaner, slippers etc). I was looking forward to shopping there so much, because we don’t have one in Wellington, and it’s so cute! Luckily, at my goshiwon, the owner Mrs Lee provided bedding and a hairdryer. There were also already bathroom slippers in my room.

I slept pretty well, although the noise of the mini fridge tends to wake me up, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

Took this photo of the main path through Yonsei while waiting to meet up with the other exchange students.

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Back to the hometown – Pua, Nan

Posted on February 25, 2017 by admin

The flight from Bangkok to Nan is just over an hour, so it’s pretty relaxed. I flew Nok Air, which have these cute bird painted planes, and provided the cutest snack pack I have ever had on a flight.

Once there my aunt and cousin Ann came to pick me up. It’s about another hour’s drive to Pua, which is the village where my mother grew up. I had to rush when I got home because more aunts and another cousin were waiting for us to go out to eat shabu shabu at a local restaurant. I wasn’t very hungry, but it’s always delicious!

I was horrified to find out my aunt had changed “my room” into her personal wardrobe! So I got to stay in an aircon room instead. Not really, I’ve been away for over 2 years, so wasn’t expecting too much – and actually this other room is bigger too!

The next day I spent the morning lounging around. First stop was to check if the local fried banana stall was still there and to get a 20 baht bag. YUM! Next, I went to the closest Seven (7-11) to get some snacks and supplies. I really like the sevens in Thailand! Everything is just so much cuter than the dairies and convenience stores in NZ.

Recently my mother’s cousin had passed away. So that afternoon I went to visit my cousin’s to pay my respects at the neighbouring village. Many of her daughters now live in NZ, so it was really nice to see them in Thailand while I was there. Although, I wish it was for a happier occasion, and am very sorry for their loss.

In the evening I visited the local afternoon market and stocked up on desserts and coconut water and just relaxed while my aunts and cousins went to a meditation and prayer evening at a buddhist temple. When I’m in Pua, it’s all about relaxing, visiting family and eating.

The highlights of Monday was getting a $4 haircut at my favourite hairdresser in Pua, and going to see my cousin Ann in the evening. She bakes desserts and cakes as a job and I’m always getting hungry when I see her pictures on facebook. Finally! I’m actually in the country and can try some for myself. She specially prepared a crepe cake, which is layers of crepe and cream and should be eaten with a delicious strawberry sauce. Strawberries seem to be more common now and it seems like the local supply comes from Chiang Mai.

I also got on a scooter and visited a few local supermarkets to grab some supplies. It has been years since I’ve ridden a scooter, so I was nervous. I don’t think I’d drive it anywhere else except Pua as I’m really not confident enough. I feel bad enough as it is with all the young high schoolers zipping around, sometimes 3 girls to a scooter or bike and no one wearing any helmets! It’s always funny how my standards for what is normal changes depending on the country I’m in. In Thailand it’s normal to see someone riding on a hammock in the back of a fruit truck.

On Tuesday I visited my aunt at her work at Pua School and got to see my mother’s name on a plaque showing she came number one at the school! Sorry Mum, I’m never going to live up to those standards. It was good to say hello to some of the teachers I had worked with before. Then I zipped around on the scooter until it was time to pack up and leave. It’s so nice driving around in the warm air, with all these fragrances of flowers and food, and scenery of local life and farm crops. Probably my favourite thing to do in Pua.

Next we headed back to Nan to catch up with more uncles, aunts and cousins for a meal before catching the plane back to Nan. Ann brought another of her cakes (this time an orange one!) and another cousin who had lived in Korea for nine years taught me how to say “I don’t speak Korean” in Korean. Useful!

 

The flight back to Don Muang was easy breezy, and I stayed the night at the Amari Don Muang because I was flying out from Don Muang to Seoul at 8am the next day!

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3 Nights in Bangkok

Posted on February 20, 2017 by admin

I flew into Bangkok on the 15th of Feb. It was a pretty uneventful flight, so that was good. For WGN to SYD I managed to only share a three seat row with one other person. I didn’t get searched or scanned etc in Sydney!! This has only been the second time this has happened so I’m pleased. Must have been busy with more dodgy looking people for a change. I also bought the Lancome Absolu Voyage travel make up kit for cheaper than the duty free in NZ! I love how it has everything in one handy travel size! I’ve used it or the Dior version for years, it’s really great for travel or when you are running late for work.

On the flight from SYD to BKK, I used the new online Qantas system for choosing meals before you fly. I got the duck l’orange. It was as good as I’d expected… so “okay I guess?” for airline food anyway. My meal arrived way before everyone else, similar to if you had dietary requirements, so I would recommend using it if you travel on Qantas out of Aussie.

Qantas online exclusive meal order. Brussel sprouts a bit too soggy, but garlic bread bun was delicious.

Once at Suvarnabhumi airport I met up with my cousin Bang who I stayed with. Then I made the crucial mistake of exchanging money at the airline counters. I think there are reasonable exchange services there, but I couldn’t see them and went with a Bank. I knew better, and my cousin warned me, but I was tired and just decided to be stupid. A few days later I checked the cash I got and realised I was probably about a $100 stupid, since that is how much I think I lost in the crappy exchange rates. Never again! Especially as there are so many places to exchange in town, and the one I wanted to exchange at was roughly 20m walk away, but behind a ticket booth!

That first day we went out to Central World Rama 9, where Bang bought some comics and we had MK for dinner. I am strangely addicted to the complimentary ice tea they serve there. It’s like a weak oolong tea with a hint of Pandan. We ordered way to much food and ate way too much. This is pretty much what my time in Thailand is always like, just feeling either slightly peckish or completely full to burst. I just want to eat all my favourite foods that I won’t get a chance to eat for ages!

 

The next day we went and bought snacks for breakfast and headed off to my Aunt’s place for a day of catching up and roughly 3 hours of lounging in their compound’s swimming pool. Soooo nice.

We also ate a lot of seafood. I continue my trend of aiming for one coconut a day.

On the 17th I did some laundry, not a big deal.. but now all my bras are blue. 🙁 I’m not sure if it was the laundry powder or what, but the one blue sports bra that had never caused any trouble before somehow dyed everything else. I suspect it might be that even though I aimed to do a cold wash, air temperature water in Thailand is generally pretty warm! Luckily the rest of my clothes appear to be fine.

I also spent a good portion of the morning trying to sort out applying for some uni papers that I couldn’t apply for first time round. About a week before I left the country I found out that all the papers I wanted to apply for at Yonsei are not available for exchange students. They also have a really “unique” bidding system, then waitlisting system for papers that was a nightmare to figure out. Unfortunately the papers I wanted to apply for are part of their Underwood International College and because they were popular they never became available for me to apply for. I’ll go beg the professor to let me in on the first day of class.

Good news! I did manage to get into two papers I wanted, and my back up paper, so I can meet minimum course requirements for the exchange, but I might have to do another paper next year if I can’t get into the one I wanted (when everyone else in my year would have graduated).

Despite this, the rest of the day was good. Bang and I had lunch at one of my favourite food courts in Bangkok (MBK) then went to spend the rest of the day with my brother and his wife. We had a really lovely evening and it was so lovely to spend time with them again and see the renovations they have done to their house. I’m really looking forward to seeing them again when I come through in July.

This is obviously coming from a place of privilege, but it is so painful having no spare luggage allowance and therefore not being able to shop at any of the malls I am visiting. There are so many cute things that I don’t need but want!

Unrealistic beauty standards!! Also, does anyone else think they mixed up Pikachu and Raichu’s cheek colours?

On the 18th I just relaxed in the morning and caught up with my other cousin who came home for the weekend. Because they live near Suvarnabhumi airport I decided to catch the airport rail link there, and then use their free airport transfer shuttle bus to Don Muang airport! All you need is to your booking confirmation to show that you have a flight out of Don Muang that day! I did have to leave quite early though, because you can never trust Bangkok traffic.

However, Don Muang has seriously upgraded since I last came through over 2 years ago. They have finally done all their new renovations and it seems so much nicer now. More shops and restaurants, better aircon too! I used the free wifi to play Pokemon Go while I waited for my flight to Nan!

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South Korea Student Exchange prep

Posted on February 3, 2017 by admin

Wow, it has been ages since I’ve updated this blog. I’ve been to a few new countries, but just got out of the habit of blogging. I mainly started this for my friends and family back home to keep tabs on me while I was away and I haven’t travelled alone for a while. I recently had to list any travel I had done outside of NZ in the last 5 years for a visa application, and it took me about 3 hours just to figure it all out, so I’m not gonna bother with any recaps.

Now I’m off again. After my last big trip I’d been mainly working contract jobs, and decided to go back to University for a second time to study at Massey University doing their new Bachelor of Creative Media Production. It’s been fun (if somewhat stressful) and I’ve meet an awesome bunch of fellow students. Loveable weirdos, who I will miss so much next semester!

After two years of staying in New Zealand, despite how interesting my studies were, I was getting pretty down about being a student on a budget, and decided to apply for the student exchange programme for a chance to travel again. I had been growing more interested in South Korean media since it was nothing like what we have in NZ, but I was also interested in how it was used to form a national identity (something we always seem to be concerned about here).

To cut a long (so many forms!) story short, I successfully applied to study for the Spring 2017 semester at Yonsei University in South Korea! Not only that, but I’m also a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia, so I didn’t need to be too overly stressed about the funding of my travels. I’m so grateful! I hope I do the country proud. I also owe a lot to my lecturers and the coordinators at Massey since they really helped me a lot (I’m the first person from my course to go on student exchange).

I leave NZ on Feb 15 2017, so not long to go now!

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Long weekend in Paris

Posted on September 24, 2012 by admin

After arriving in London and spending a few days settling in and catching up with my Lil Sis we went off to Paris for a long weekend to celebrate Lil Sis’s 26th birthday.

She had booked us and awesome deal with Eurostar and the Mecure Montmartre hotel. We didn’t arrive til very late and were told that there had been a mix up in the system and we had booked a superior room, but only standard rooms were left! Actually from what we could tell, we had just booked a non-smoking room and that was the only difference. However… Because we had prepaid we would be bumped up to a Privilege room for the rest our our stay which meant we got a free minibar.. That’s right, free cokes and an orange juice each day. Haha!

We could see Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel tower from our window, although you had to lean out precariously.

Anyway we got a lot done in our short time there. First day we went to the Arc de Triumphe and then shopping on the Champs élysées and I bought some snake skin cowboy boots. Which isn’t my usual style, but they were pretty cool. We also walked past the Moulin Rouge and ate dinner at the same restaurant where Amelie worked in the movie!

Saturday was all about visiting the Eiffel Tower and going for a wander to other shopping areas. Annoyingly Lil Sis’s metro ticket stopped working properly and then it seemed to have the wrong date stamp on it too! But it didn’t really stop us, it was just a pain to have to go get a ticket each time rather than just heading on through. In our downtime on this holiday we used the free hotel wifi to watch episodes of the cartoon Adventure Time and became addicted. It’s random and good fun.

Sunday was Lil Sis’ birthday, so we went to the Louvre and surprise surprise More Shopping! It wasn’t as successful as the shops we wanted to go to were closed. However we did stop in to an awesome cafe for dessert treats and tea, and afterwards bought some adorable little paintings for Lil Sis’s birthday present from a street vendor. The motto for the day was ‘Treat yo self’ and we did. For dinner we went to an awesome art deco seafood restaurant and Lil Sis somehow managed to finish a giant seafood platter.. It was epic. I helped a little bit.

On our final day today we ate some delicious crepes and went for another shopping wander near the hotel. Lil Sis got some awesome outfits and I probably spent too much on macaroons.

All in all, The Treat Yo Self Birthday Paris excursion was an awesome success.

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10 days in Thailand

Posted on September 18, 2012 by admin

With only a short amount of time in Thailand I planned a few days in Bangkok, then a few days in Phuket, and a few days up in Pua, Nan where my family is from. The rest of the time is planned for being in transit between these places.

I normally spend a good deal of time shopping in Bangkok, but since I was heading over to the UK after this, and had limited time I made myself a strict list and stuck to it… Somehow I still think I spent too much (although everything was a bargain) but I am loving my new treats: suitcase, carry-on bag, laptop bag, make-up kit, waterproof camera and little case for it, portable hard-drive, various toiletries, gifts and cherry flavoured fishermen’s friend. I think I am still in my luggage weight limit too!

I managed to do that all in a day, so spent a day being a blob which I really needed since leading up to my flight was a hectic two weeks of catching up with everyone before I left.

Phuket was pretty awesome. It rained a lot, but the hotel we stayed at was very nice and I loved the large room and massive bed that I didn’t have to share. I didn’t love the slight ‘hmph’ noise the receptionists made after confirming that I was there alone.

The rain did clear up in time for the beautiful beach wedding I attended. I got teary eyed as soon as I saw the bride walking up the sand in her beautiful gown. Great occasion, great weather, great company and great food made for a fantastic wedding day. The events were really well organized by the hotel too. I was really happy to have been able to attend, and felt I did well to represent the friends back home that weren’t able to make it, but were there in spirit.

I am really going to miss the cheap cocktails (made even cheaper by the 2 for 1 happy hour!) and the breakfast buffet. It’s such a downer going home after staying at a place like that and your first morning back you wake up thinking “waaaaah! Make my own breakfast?! Why is no one offering me eggs cooked anyway and endless bacon and tropical fruits?”.

Ok, so actually in Thailand often the breakfasts are communal and a whole bunch is laid out and you just go eat what you feel like, so I didn’t have to make my own breakfast any day that I was there.

The VIP bus trip to Pua was uneventful. Sombat Tours do a decent overnight trip for about $35 nz. The chairs are comfy… And I have had massage chairs on some overnight trips.. And you can just lay back and relax. They bring you drinks and snacks, and there is a movie playing in Thai at the start of the trip and Thai karaoke at the end, with dark sleepy time in the middle. Halfway through you stop at a rest stop with lots of toilets and you get a free meal and a choice of 2 soft drinks. It’s a bit disruptive for your sleep, but it’s good to get a chance to stretch your legs. Also you can buy a whole bunch of sweets and treats which you take back to give as souvenirs.

In my short stay in Pua I lounged around in My Room playing on the net. It’s My Room because I was around when the extension was being built and claimed it as mine. You snooze you loose, other family members! I visited a school where I used to teach and caught up with colleagues and students. I also visited the school where my mother used to teach and my aunt still teaches and chatted to teachers I knew and the new foreign teachers. So good to see the old crew again.

I also drank lots of coconut juice. Yuuuuum!

The trip back to Bangkok was delayed because the VIP bus broke down and we got given a regular bus instead. Lame, but we did get a refund on the price. I also slept most of the way, so no biggie.

Tonight I am gonna catch up with my little brother and then head to the airport from his place for my midnight flight. It will be good to see him and his fiancé again!

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Being lazy in Kurishiki

Posted on December 14, 2011 by admin

19th-23rd September 2011

My first few days in Kurashiki were pretty lazy. I may have ventured out to the supermarket, but mostly stayed home and read. The one day I tried to go to the station to use the wifi at Starbucks was a disaster. Well, it wasn’t that bad, but it just felt that way at the time.

I was getting used to being on a bike (something I hadn’t done since I was 12) and managed to follow some odd directions missing an important right turn. Had to try and talk to a random lady and her child who pulled faces at me, and got back on the right track eventually. By the time I got to the station, I was hungry, tired and had a sore bum.

I went to the tourist info place and got a handy English map, and went to the post office. I thought it would be a quick visit, but no. I had put stickers on the postcards, and apparently this was a no, no. They had to call up their international centre and find this out, then they asked me to call the translation service, then they called them themselves because I wasn’t going to make that call on my cell phone, then I had it all explained to me (even though I had actually figured it out already), then I had to buy envelopes to put the postcards in, and that was sorted……apparently the parcels and envelopes with stickers on them were OK, as long as I wasn’t worried about the stickers coming off, this rule only applies to postcards!!

Then I found out that actually, no, Starbucks doesn’t have free wifi, and I sat there getting hyped up on my sugary caffeine drink. I really should have eaten something apart from pumpkin pie. Or just gone and used the computers at the tourist centre. But by then I was pretty Hangry (hungry – angry) and probably the less human contact the better. It didn’t help when an old man grumbled at me due to my uncoordinated cycling abilities as he went past on my way home either.

So, yeah, I was happy to stay home and rest a bit. Actually, I was a good house sitter, and vacuumed, mopped and fixed a screen door! Although I was useless at putting out the rubbish and understanding the neighbours when they came to give Hugh his rubbish schedule. When Hugh came home from his overseas jaunt, it was lovely to see a friendly face again and have a catch up.

The next day I headed out to properly explore Kurishiki and Okayama.

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